U.S. Protects Al Qaeda in Syria, Proven

There’s plenty of proof that the U.S. Government protects Al Qaeda in Syria. Right now, America is protecting Al Qaeda’s main center throughout the world, which is the province of Idlib in Syria. This protection is part of a bigger picture, no merely isolated phenomenon.

A 30 July 2017 speech makes this clear. The speech wasn’t given by an opponent or critic of the U.S. Government, but by a high official of the U.S. Government who speaks for the President of the United States on Syria and who has been doing this not only under Trump, but under Obama. This official is the neoconservative and rabidly anti-Assad and anti-Iranian and pro-Saudi and pro-Israeli Brett McGurk, who is U.S. President Trump’s Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, at the U.S. Department of State. He publicly acknowledged that “Idlib province is the largest Al Qaeda safe haven since 9/11, tied directly to Ayman al-Zawahiri. … Leaders of Al Qaeda who make their way to Idlib province often do not make their way out of there.” He acknowledges there that Idlib is like the pre-9/11 Afghanistan was. McGurk, who consistently supports Sunni Saudi Arabia against Shiite Iran, blames Shiite Iran for Al Qaeda, and for everything that Al Qaeda does. He gives as his reason for blaming Iran, Iran’s having been insufficiently hostile toward Al Qaeda members. (One can say the same about any Muslim-majority nation, but especially regarding Saudi Arabia and the other Sunni-Muslim ones, particularly because Al Qaeda is itself an intensely Sunni organization, not at all Shiite.)

Likewise, the neoconservative scholar Kyle Orton wrote on 21 July 2017 (just days before that U.S. official, McGurk, spoke) saying that Al Qaeda threatens to apply terrorism against Iran if Iran goes too hard against Al Qaeda, and yet Orton also said that Iran is to blame for what Al Qaeda does.

In other words: Iran is in fear of Al Qaeda, and yet (according to Orton and the U.S. Government, including McGurk) Iran is responsible for Al Qaeda — that’s actually the official U.S. viewpoint, crazy though it sounds (and it can be understood only by understanding the broader picture).

Putin, Erdogan, and Rouhani, met in Tehran on September 7th to discuss the threat by Trump (from condemnation backed not only by Trump’s allies but by the ‘humanitarian’ agencies of the U.N.), the Trump Administration’s threat to go to war against Russia for ‘humanitarian’ reasons if Russia assists Assad’s effort to exterminate the jihadists in Idlib. Russia didn’t want World War III, and so this meeting in Tehran occurred. TIME magazine headlined on September 7th, “Presidents of Russia, Turkey and Iran Meet to Plot Future of Syria Ahead of Battle for Last Rebel Stronghold” and reported that “Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a cease-fire and an end to airstrikes in the northwestern province of Idlib, something that wasn’t immediately accepted by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.”

The way for the plan to avert that outcome to be carried out would be:

Assad and Putin both will announce that due to the complaints from the U.S. Government and from the United Nations and from the Turkish Government, Syria will give up Idlib province, and will construct on the border between it and the adjoining areas of Syria, a DMZ or De-Militarized Zone, so that not only will the residents in Idlib be safe from any attack by Syria and its allies (such as America and its allies have been demanding), but Syrians — in all the others of Syria’s provinces — will likewise be safe against any continued attacks by the jihadists that have concentrated themselves in Idlib.

This way, Turkey’s President Erdogan can safely keep his 50,000 troops in Idlib if he wishes; America’s President Trump can claim victory in Syria and finally fulfill his long-promised intention to end the U.S. occupation of (most of the jihadist-controlled) parts of Syria (which they’ve occupied), and maybe WW III can be avoided, or, at least, postponed, maybe even so that people living today won’t be dying-off from WW III and its after-effects.

It was now several days after the September 7th meeting, and yet Trump’s plan for WW III still couldn’t yet be exercised; the excuse for it was still not present. For some reason, a limited cease-fire appears to have been occurring in Idlib.

Evidently, Erdogan had persuaded Putin (if he even really needed persuading — given Trump’s threat, Putin himself might have come up with this plan) that Turkey was going to assume responsibility for Idlib. Russia’s minor bombings in Idlib were just for show, so as not publicly to reveal that Erdogan’s proposal (if it originated with him, instead of with Putin) had won out at the September 7th meeting. If that plan had been publicly first espoused by Putin, then the U.S. side would far more likely have condemned it; but, coming from NATO member Turkey, the U.S. side would be able to present implementation of “Turkey’s position” as being ‘a win for The West’.

But what was the September 7th agreement that was reached in Tehran, really? What was the plan that Putin, Rouhani, and Erdogan, agreed-to?

Clearly, Assad was opposed to it — at least in public. My argument that it would help him and Syria was not publicly shared by him, at all. Whatever the Tehran plan was, with 50,000 Turkish troops now in Idlib, Syria might now, indeed, ultimately have to cede Idlib (the world’s highest-intensity jihadist center) to Turkey.

Syria needs Idlib — the last stronghold of the jihadists and the shortest route from Latakia to Aleppo. The M5 international highway crosses Idlib, linking Turkey and Jordan through Aleppo and Damascus. Control of the province would greatly facilitate the negotiations with the Kurds and strengthen Syria’s position at the UN-brokered Geneva talks. If the negotiation process succeeds, the only territories left to liberate would be the zone controlled by the US, such as the al-Tanf military base and the surrounding area, the northern parts of the country under Turkish control, and small chunks of land still held by ISIS.

The U.S. alliance is, indeed, now referring to not only Al Qaeda in Idlib but also ISIS in Idlib as being ‘rebels’ and ‘refugees’; and Erdogan does, too. That’s the U.S. side’s propaganda. That SyriaNews commentator was correct to be appalled at it. Erdogan and the U.S. side are accurately represented there. But this does not necessarily mean that Russia and its allies (especially Syria) cannot win with this strategy that’s being condemned by Assad, and by Strategic Culture Foundation, and by Syria News. If that strategy turns out to be the one that I proposed on September 10th, I think that they will win with it. Certainly, for Syria to retain Idlib would be horrible both for Syria and for Assad (who has always been loathed by the residents there, who see him as being either a Shiite or an atheist).

And Erdogan is in both camps — America’s and Russia’s — and playing each side against the other, for what he wants. But he could turn out to be the biggest loser from ‘his’ success here.

If he exterminates Idlib’s jihadists, then the U.S. side will condemn him for it. But if he instead frees those jihadists to return to their home-countries, then both sides will condemn him for having done so.

The biggest apparent ‘winner’ from all this, Erdogan, could thus turn out to be the biggest real loser from it. And the biggest apparent ‘loser’ from it, Assad, could turn out to be the biggest real winner from it.

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Fighting a war using proxies is nothing new. ISIS in Syria was created by the US and it’s allies to overthrow President Assad and to create a Caliphate which subsequently would be used against south Russia. It did not turn out that way. Currently the US cannot permit Idlib to fall, as then it would have no excuse to stay in Syria. It needs to stay in Syria for geopolitical reasons and also to use it for a possible attack against Iran.

Eric Zuesse has raised an interesting possibility that President Assad might give up idlib. First time I have read about such a maneuver. Theoretically anything is possible. Then again, would Assad be comfortable with having an ISIS stronghold in his back yard ?

Putin and Erdogan are meeting again, this time in Sochi on September 17. We shall see what they decide. I just don’t see Putin and Assad so easily giving up idlib because of US and Turkish complaints.

It is instructive that the CIA learned this tactic of manipulating and deploying Islamic fundamentalist terrorists against progressive states from the Nazis who initiated this tactic against the Soviets in World War Two. An unbroken chain of fascist terrorism which tells us the true nature of the western power structure. But then who were the real creators of the CIA? The British and look at them now. B.F. I always enjoy reading your posts.

Snow Leopard
Thank you. However, I would like to add one point. The British did indeed teach the US the art of espionage before the Second World War. However, the job was completed after 1945, when the US Army instigated Operation Paperclip, bringing into the US thousands of German scientists, Gestapo officers and German Army intelligence officers. The CIA is basically German trained. The most notorious example of NAZI officers being brought into the US was the case of SS General Heinrich Mueller, the ex Gestapo chief. He became President Truman’s personal spy chief, creating a private intelligence organization, one of whose tasks was to keep an eye on the CIA, which was spying on Truman. As for SS General Heinrich Mueller, he spent his retirement in California, where he died.

Snow Leopard. Hi! Don’t forget Allen Dulles, brother of John Foster Dulles. Both originally executives of the New York City law firm that coordinated cooperation between U.S. Industries and Nazi German industries preceding and during WW2. Allen Dulles did dirty espionage work for the benefit of the world elite of both allied and axis powers during WW2. He founded the OSS, which later became the CIA, which he continued to run. Allen Dulles was responsible for bringing the Nazis into the OSS. Allen Dulles, though retired, still was deeply involved in the Warren Commission hearings to successfully steer the report away from any discovery of CIA involvement with the J.F. Kennedy assassination. Though retired he maintained his residence on a rural CIA training facility in Virginia or Maryland. The world today is still suffering from Allen Dulles dirty work and lies. He was obsessed with saving capitalism from communism and maintained a profound, and endless fear of communism and Russia, for which he created endless anti Soviet/Russian propaganda, that we Americans still believe. Over 600 pages about Allen Douglas’ dirty ops in “The Devil’s Chessboard – Allen Dulles, the CIA, and the Rise of America’s Secret Government”. It’s fascinating reading, but not good for the blood pressure. There are 40 pages of fine print foot notes after the 600 pages of the story.

[This subject is “off-topic.” Please take any further discussion on this matter to the Moveable Feast Cafe. Thank you, The Mod.]

I consider that from “Snow Leopard” a profound observation, further documenting the Hitlerite origin of today’s U.S. Government — further documenting that America is today’s Nazi Germany. By “this tactic of manipulating and deploying Islamic fundamentalist terrorists against progressive states from the Nazis who initiated this tactic against the Soviets in World War Two” I think especially of the CIA’s use of such organizations as the Social Nationalist Party of Ukraine, in the Obama State Department’s coup that in February 2014 replaced the democratically elected Government by Obama’s chosen junta of racist anti-Russian fascists. In this view, Hitler’s Nazis were like today’s Al Qaeda, and are boots-on-the-ground local proxy forces for the American corporate state. Since WW II, America has been flipped, to being today’s nazi empire.

B.F, further to your comments re Syria, Russia and (may I add) China not being happy till Idlib is clean; here are further reasons from Ziad Fadel’s editorial in this morning’s SyrPer:

“The two (2) groups [of NATZO terrorists making their last stand in Idlib] are: 1. The Islamic Turkistaan Party. This group is almost all Uighers from Western China and a regiment of Chinese Special Forces are on the ground in Syria to insure they don’t go back and resettle. The Uighers were brought over to Syria by a Nusra blowhard named Abu Rabaah.

The second group is called Soldiers of the Caucasus – (Ajnaad Al-Qawqaaz.) A small minority of Turkmen make up the balance of this of this group. However, the Turkmen don’t find the Uighers (pronounced: “weeger”) palatable as they have not developed a taste for Dim Sum or pressed duck. The Turkmen are found mostly in the Turkmen Moutains or Jisr Al-Shughoor. They were established by another bloviator-turned-preacher named Abu Ridhaa Al-Turkistaani.

Both groups receive logistical support from the Turkish MIT, i.e. the Turk CIA, the CIA itself, the British MI6, the Zionist Entity and another criminal enterprise led by Ibraaheem Mansoor. This group of Turkic origin (Turanian, specifically) was established by a Zionist cretin named Mo’eez Cohen (real name: Max Byalistock). It is primarily responsible for resupply and weapons acquisition, intelligence and urban warfare. It also includes, as you might guess, 3000 Chechens.”

Good article Mr.Zuesse. There is no doubt in my mind that there is a coordinated effort in Idlib. Turkey’s main concern is and has always been the Kurds. Afrin operation was just for that to block Kurdish enclave to reach the Med sea. Russia, Iran and even US did not say a thing. It was agreed upon from the beginning by all parties (notice I do not mention Britain or France). Same thing seems to be going on as we speak regarding Idlib. US is content with the eastern part of Euphrates and Russia has no issue with that. Russia will keep his bases in Syria, not to protect Syria but to have s stronghold for its access to the Med sea. Turkey may get Idlib as you suggest to block Kurdish access to the sea. Assad will have no choice but to grudgingly accept this fact. Iran seems to be the main bother for Israel, US and probably Russia. Russia coordinates every step with those two powers. Turkey is not a US puppet any longer, especially after the failed coup d’etat planned by the Obama administration. I think Turkey is playing a much better game since then and really works for its own interests in the region. We will most likely see a Syria divided in three parts. Kurdish controlled east of Euphrates (actually controlled by the US and Israel), Northern part controlled by the Turks in collaboration with Russia. The rest will be left to Assad. Golan Heights is another issue and the war may continue there between Israel and Iran.

Your comment is interesting. Today, Erdogan showed that he doesn’t want Idlib. But he is coordinating with Putin in order to exterminate the active jihadists there. I hope that you will turn out to be wrong about Syria’s losing other parts. That would be a significant victory for the invaders. And Netanyahu is determined to keep the land it stole in the Golan. Significant gas was recently found there.

BERLIN, September 14. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will discuss the situation in Idlib at a meeting on September 17 in Sochi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday at a plenary session of the German-Russian Forum.

“On September 17 there will be a new meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. They discussed ways to settle the Idlib zone problem to minimize some risks for civilian population in Tehran on September 7,” Lavrov said. “Now the military and diplomats are engaged in dialogue. On Monday, September 17, the presidents will study this situation.”

There hundred of thousands terrorists there.
Being grouplet of Kurdish independentists or Al Quada or Orhers.
It is near Turkey border and an attack could have it all flow in Turkey. That would be huge mess.

Thus Turkey has no same POV than Iran or Russia.
And that should be somehow accomodate.

Turkey is a régional player. Thus legitimate to protect its interests.
US is not.

Got them concentrated in one place. Turkey has large military forces in the area. It would seem that Turkey has the firepower in place to deal with the terrorists if they choose. Appeasement is not the only option.

This is the imperialist mind set, it is contrary to international law. What am I talking about? Sovereignty. Nations do not have any rights to interfere in other nations internal affairs. No nation that adheres to international law can have legitimate security interests in any other country, as that is an interference in an other nations internal affairs. Without Damascus’ approval, Turkey is an illegal occupier in Syria. A country may have security concerns about some other country, or within some region in some other country, but legally, they can do nothing about it. Only with the approval of the nation’s government can an external power enter into the affairs within a country. Iran, Russia, Hezbollah, are in Syria legally, with agreement of Damascus.

Nations that do not adhere to international law, and the Westphalian sovereignty, pretend that they do have legitimate security and other interests in other countries. False. The concept of preemptive war is a violation of international law.

”Nations that do not adhere to international law, and the Westphalian sovereignty, pretend that they do have legitimate security and other interests in other countries.”

This is especially true of the ’Axis Of Kindness’, having ’legitimate security and other concerns’ in every country on the planet, vividly demonstrated by the promotion of global mayhem, chaos, and violence.

International law on this matter is largely being rewritten. It is a pro-intervention doctrine which has a great deal of opportunities to bypass international law and norms that have been in practice for quite some time now.

This is the link to the report that was released by the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty in 2001. It is essentially a ‘doctrine’ that allows states to intercede where they deem fit. But not surprisingly no state is ‘bound’ to intercede. If this was the case we would have seen combined action in Yemen under R2P many years before now. In essence this allows a ‘lawful’ return to ‘might makes right’ as long as the propaganda war for such intervention can be made.

However I believe that we have long passed a time where international law is what it is made out to be. We would be in a far better position as a ‘global village’ if there were requirements upon states to have actually signed, ratified and passed state laws recognizing particular aspects of international law or doctrines. A country who refuses to sign up and ratify any of the International Human Right’s agreements for example should never be in a position to argue those rights be respected by another state actor. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea for example, we constantly hear the US demands China must respect such international law yet the US is yet to become a signatory yet alone ratify the same law itself. Hypocrisy and double standards, yes certainly, but China is a signatory so such demands should come from other signatories as loudly, and as often, as it does from the US.

I would like nothing more than to agree to your position, I would prefer International Law actually held a place that was proscribed and actionable. However the simple fact is it does not, and I would doubt it ever has. International Law and ‘Rights’ are aspirational in nature. There must be a desire to aspire to such a place of civility and rational action. History is not the only thing written by the victors, the international commons and laws surrounding them are also written by the victors. Might makes right, yet again.

It is a very sad state of affairs that we exist in, one in which access to information to make informed decisions is withheld for numerous reason (national security, commercial sensitivity, etc) but this is the crap we have been left with. Not too long now and the lower classes and those in poverty will have less ability to know about, let alone even access the rights they apparently hold under international law.

Under R2P any state actor or combination of such, including NATO as a regional institution with an interest, can feel free to ‘protect’ individuals in Syria or a whole range of other locations around the globe. Two things will deter that, the possible military response to such action by a third party. Exactly as we have in Syria.Secondly the more such a doctrine is used to more often it may be called upon to be used. If Syria why not Yemen? Not a question that some actors have an answer to yet. Hence ‘chemical weapon reports’ that may be responded to by skirting around the edge of other multinational agreements.

I would not look to ‘Lawfare’ to do much to save Syria unfortunately. It is very rarely ever the manner state disagreements are managed if they can ever get a fair accounting of all evidence and a lack of bias (or special interest groups) tipping the scales one way or another. Things don’t even need to make sense anymore in this Theatre of the Absurd. Skiprials, Yemen, South China Sea, Palestine, Water disputes in South/Latin America, Maidan (or Euromaidan as it is now ‘branded’), Russian Diplomats ousted and diplomatic property seized in the US. It just goes on and on.

International Law is being re-written. First a doctrine is established, then a consensus is built around its application and finally it is implemented and used. As the use builds in frequency so to does its place as an ‘international norm’. These international norms become for lack of a better term ‘common law’. Not as much a written piece of legislation as much as one that is accepted as being such.

A black letter approach to International Law is inadequate to fully comprehend the manner in which all law, but especially international law evolves and changes.

I took the time to write what I did because when you look at Libya, the one time R2P has been implemented and involved military action versus the other seven or eight times it has been implemented without needing to resort to such, should cause us to ask why Libya but not Syria? Some answers are obvious, Russia as an actor seeking to protect its own interests as well as maintaining International Law as it is written.

But what are the other reasons why it would not be invoked? I would argue Yemen is one. In the same way Odious Debt was not used in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein as the US and other Western Nations did not want to build an undeniable precedent that could then be used to disavow international loans to dictators or authoritarian governments, instead the US as a creditor (along with other institutions and finance options) ‘forgave’ a portion of the debt owed. Most knew they would make a significant amount via reconstruction ‘aid’ (in reality more rent seeking to enrich western corporations). So in Syria if R2P was invoked earlier questions would be asked about Yemen. That lesson was already learned recently when Russia pointed to Kosovo in relation to Crimea. Lawfare is about what you can get away with rather than what you can allow your ‘enemy’ (or future enemy) to get away with.

I will agree with you that we have ‘black letter’ international law. But like all laws and systems it is built on a consensus. Without the consensus and aspiration to see the consensus realised it fails. But the opposite side of this coin is that laws can be rewritten, being aware of how and watching for it to happen is essential to understanding how the systems are rigged in favour of particular states, regional and multinational bodies.

I would like nothing more than for the system to be as you indicate. Clear, precise and with known action to be taken against those who default the law. However that is not the reality. Even if Idlib is dealt with there is no guarantee that R2P will not be invoked or even requested to be invoked by some actors in the region. Non-interference was indeed re-written by the acceptance of the report and later use of it. It may not be as we would wish it to be but sticking our heads in the sand and saying it has not happened will not help us navigate the lawfare being used by states around the world today.

I agree with you that this loathsome ‘report’ did not need to be written and it offends me that one of my countries own politician’s, a relatively intelligent man, was a co-chair on this document. I agree with your position that it largely serves a particular group in our geopolitics, but I would prefer to know how and why a thing is done that simply state it was wrong to do so. Although R2P is definitely wrong, until such time as R2P becomes something that “must” be done in all occasions it’s ‘line has been crossed’ rather than its current implementation which is if it is in the intevenor’s political interest to do so.

Well, the fact is that Turkey is a main player behing terrorists infiltration in Idlib as it supplied men power and weaponry for years in that region. It is a payback time and Turkey should not complain but rather be quiet considering they created this.

These terrorists came from Turkey. They were recruited, trained, paid and supplied by the Turks. It is only just that they should return where they came from. They don’t belong in Syria and never will.

I believe that in a short period of time, Syria will be back where it was geographically before this Anglo-Zionist invasion took place. The areas controlled by the US are strategically indefensible. The idea that they could be used as bases to attack Iran is ludicrous – they are well within range of thousands of Iranian missiles and mountains intervene.

The Kurds will – as has always been the case – be losers as it is in the interests of all their bigger neighbours to cooperate so as to keep them divided. Israel’s project in the Kurdish region is doomed. In fact, Israel itself is doomed as all its neighbours will be a heck of a lot stronger than was the case in 1967.

I suspect Erdogan is secretly negociating with Putin to kill off all the terrorists that were under his command. He is they type of psychopath who would have no qualms about doing that.

Erdogan has two main options. Does Erdogan want to keep Idlib and his Al Qaeda proxies, or does he want to accept a US-run Kurdish protectorate on his border. Does he hate the Kurds more than he wants to keep Idlib? My guess is he will stop protecting the hard core Al Qaeda types in order to, something like, get to keep a minority part of Idlib, the price to pay for him is of Al Qaeda is destroyed and he allows the SAA and Russia to go east along the border to smoke out the Kurdish traitors to Syria i.e. the US sponsored proxies they are attempting to use to establish a proxy state, the Kurdish Israel sort of.

It is clear Russia will not allow a permanent Al Qaeda presence in Syria, nor will they allow a Kurdish US proxy state to weaken Syria and Iraq. The US will have to go war against Russia, or accept strategic defeat in Syria. Something neither Israel or the US can accept. A strategic defeat in Syria means the end of Israels ideas of a Greater Israel, and the eventual US defeat in the Middle East.

If Turkey tries to defend Idlib the Russian forces will burn them. Russia cannot accept an Islamist anti-Russian presence to remain in Syria and have made it clear they will finish the job they started in 2015.

Erdogan has other options, such as getting out of Syria altogether, and preventing all arms movements from within its territory, to militant groups in Syria, and preventing use of Turkish military bases for any foreign actions in Syria. Erdogan could stabilize the situation greatly by preventing all arms transfers, that previously occurred from Turkey to armed insurgents in Syria. Arms are still getting into hands of terrorists in Syria, across various borders.

A complete pull out from Syria, which of course should happen, is also a defeat for Erdogan and would have consequences for him domestically and internationally. Sure, Russia would be happy but the US, UK, France Israel and the Turkish Muslim Brotherhood etc, would not. Also it would be a complete turn around of an old policy and Erdogan would have to have something else prepared. He would be cutting off some of his personal major war profiteering operations just to please Russia. I don’t think he will give up that easily.

America and its allies are guilty of sponsoring Islamic jihadists like Al-Queda around the world for decades, not only in Syria but also Libya (with the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group), Serbia (with the KLA), and in Russia (Chechens) and China (Uighurs).

But then again, this is not surprising, given that Usama Bin Laden was an American CIA asset in the 1980s jihad against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.

Essentially, the United States is following in the footsteps of the British Evil Empire, which historically backed Islamic Jihadists like the Muslim Brotherhood as a Machiavellian tactic to subjugate Arab nations.

Lincoln took the stance that the Union must be restored in full. Assad is taking the same stance. One reason why Assad would not want to give 30,000 terrorists to Turkey is that America would then use that as a precedent to claim that now Assad must also give up all territory east of the Euphrates. Assad is holding firm to the statement that Syria must be restored in full to its lawful government. It is a strong position, but one that falls apart as soon as Syria starts to agree to give up one territory or another.

Why? Because al qaida and the usa are carrying out israel’s war against Syria. Both are israeli tools. And the zionazi-gay plan is to have al qaida attack both Lebanon and Iran, as well. In israeli interests.

Mr. Zuesse’s comments are not helpful, and in fact are totally confused. His remarks pull for all sides to win, and at the same time for all sides to lose. One ends by wondering whose side Zuesse is really on? Nobody’s? Everybody’s?

This is a news-report. What it alleges is true. The U.S. is on Al Qaeda’s side in Syria. That is a fact. My recommendation that for the benefit of Syrians and of Syria’s President Assad, a DMZ should be established between Idlib and its adjoining Syrian provinces, was concerned only about the welfare of Syrians. A reader doesn’t need to be a genius in order to understand that this reporter loathes the invaders. When I added the “NEWS UPDATE” at the end, I described a strategy that might be even better than the one that I was recommending. In any case, it is clear that I despise the U.S. Government, because it is threatening WW III in order to protect jihadists and supporters of jihad. How can anyone be so dull as not to understand this?

“Certainly, for Syria to retain Idlib would be horrible both for Syria and for Assad (who has always been loathed by the residents there, who see him as being either a Shiite or an atheist).”

Is this advocating chopping up bits of Syria? Will the next suggestion be that the SDF should run off with NE Syria? This is the so-called New Middle East plan all over again, Oded Yinon updated, in which the Middle East is balkanized for a certain Elephant in the Room.

Its the sign of this current age of massive propaganda that a reader expects a journalist to be on a side. Everything is now an emotional and basically propaganda appeal for a side. People don’t know how to deal with someone who presents facts. The old Joe Friday “just the facts ma’am” has been replaced with a constant stream of 2-minute hates against the enemy. When that is missing, it appears to confuse a few readers. How can someone be called a journalist if they are not constantly making up new, supposedly funny names and insults to hurl at “the other”?

I bow to the experts, and I am not one, but supposing Russia had used this argument with respect to Chechnya, would it not have meant that Russia would for all present eternity be subject to harassment (far too mild a word) from the terrorists in its midst? I cannot suppose that would be acceptable for Assad. Certainly the US is ultimately responsible, having first invaded Iraq and set the religious war apparatus churning – Putin’s words to the effect of ‘Do you know what you have done?’ are extremely applicable in this case.

Those jihadists (for want of a better term) that are foreign to Syria must be weeded out and sent to their country of origin for containment therein, to be either reconciled as supporting citizens, or punished for any violent acts they may further inflict on those countries. I can’t see any way out of that. A properly functioning UN could co-ordinate this process. And local Syrian jihadists treated in the same manner. That might mean Russia taking back any Chechen militants, China taking back those that are from its Islamic territories, etc. It will be risky, but necessary.

I have no idea what involvement Turkey should have, but surely a quiet border with Syria would be optimal, and leaving control with jihadists would not be that.

Russia domesticated Chechnya, with leadership there obtaining the guarantee of independence within the Russian state. Idlib is part of Syria with citizens who are Syrian. A similar guarantee can be given by Assad, whose wife after all is Sunni. Conflict will continue if this is not the solution reached. Whether that means a further attack or whether that can be resolved using the infiltration process that has evidently been taking place, I leave again to the experts. And I think Russia’s example should be the one that is followed. They know best how to do this.

Turkey is a treacherous and totally malign and unreliable player in Syria. They have no right to be in Syria at all, and it is to be hoped that along with the Americans and other foreign invaders, they are all kicked out of Syria for good. This is the only reliable way to establish some stability in the region. To compromise with the bullies attacking Syria would be a profound mistake. If Russia allows anything like such half measures to prevail, it will be the beginning of the end for them. There is no way to succeed by continually backing down in the face of the escalating provocations of the Empire.

mike k
That strategy is history. One has to wonder who is backing whom into a corner. As I have written before, Putin is using the old Army strategy of an “offensive defensive”, making surgical strikes while keeping a strong defense. The US is still applying it’s globalist policy, spending a heap of money and creating a heap of enemies. It’s globalist empire is now on very shaky legs, with Europe slowly turning towards Russia.

It is too early to render a decision on how this Empire/Russia struggle will work out. Although the Empire has some serious weaknesses, it still has some powerful cards to play. How Russia plays it’s hand is crucial to the survival of all of us. Over or under confidence on the part of Russia could be fatal, and result in the nuclear war that remains a strong possibility. Nobody is in firm control of preventing this terminal disaster. Every move being made now influences this overriding concern to avoid the worst. That the players are using this threat as part of their strategies is a dangerous reality, which could go off the rails at any time.

“the only province of Syria that has always preferred Al Qaeda and ISIS to the Government of Syria’s secular President, Bashar al-Assad.”

I totally do not believe that. Apart from anything else there is not a single square metre on planet Earth that would ever want to have a city full of Wahhabi murderous psychopaths running things. But the people of Idlb somehow do?

Were the people of Idlib surveyed and asked – free from any pressure on them from the occupying terrorists of course – who they would vote for in an election?

And why would Syria ever consider giving up some of it’s territory – especially to these monsters?

Also I want to mention the Oded Yinon plan, to balkanise the surrounding states of Israel and turn them into some kind of failed states in order to make them less potentially harmful. There may be a cynical truth in this. Breaking the Shia crescent will endanger the supply lines of Hezbollah as well. There may even be a more mystical twist, comparing the famous ‘7 nations in 5 years’ message of former general Wesley Clark with Deuteronomy 7.1-2.
Well, that already went wrong in 2006 when the IDF invaded Lebanon.

It was an eye-opener to read about the possibility of giving up Idlib. I wonder whether Assad and Putin will let that happen. And than there is this USA/Kurdish occupation of about a third in the NE, where the main oil fields are (that is a mere coincidence, of course). Will that be accepted in the long term?

Thanks, Rob, for clicking onto the link wherever you had any question. The vast majority of readers don’t do that, and it infuriates me. I don’t understand why they don’t do it. Everyone who doubts anything should check the sources to see how trustworthy the information is upon which the given allegation is based. Readers who don’t do that end up just believing what they want to believe, and disbelieving what they don’t want to believe. And that closed-mindedness is, in my opinion, the source of the world’s problems.

Maram Susli or “Syrian Girl” is a terrific person in every way, brilliant, articulate, compassionate, not to mention that she’s a knockout; and that Australian who is from Syria and who hopes to return there, speaks for the Syrian people, in clear language, far too honest for any of the major ‘news’ media to provide a platform for; so the major media put on, instead, presenters who are inferior to her in every way.

The 1982 Yinon Plan was copied from the CIA and Rand Corporation going as far back as 1949; so, I don’t mention it.

A most well-written and informative submission by Eric Zuesse; hats off plus a few conclusions of mine.

”Right now, the U.S. government and some of its allies are threatening to go to war against Russia if Russia will bomb the world’s highest concentration of Al Qaeda terrorists”

As far as the Pindos are concerned, they won’t be going to military war against Russia. Not that it would pose any noticeable ’moral dilemma’ whatsoever to the moronic, self-worshipping, war-obsessed majority population of the US — if protecting Al Qaeda by attacking their enemies militarily is somehow an ’indispensable prerequisite’ for the achievement of MAGA, then the average Pindo will be all for it. But the top brass knows something that the average Pindo usually does not: Russia has both the means and the determination to fight them.

However, the devil, as always, is in the details. More specifically, we have Eric Zuesse’s above reference to ”the U.S. government and some of its allies”. Of course, its old solid and dependable criminal animals such as the Zionist Entity and Saudi Barbaria will be there to help, and that is all well and good. But here, I’m beginning to sense what the Zionazis have in store for the Euro-trash: The open borders and the ensuing torrents of refugees consisting mostly of young, able-bodied men and, in most cases, their crucial fresh experience of Western imperialist brutality. A military assault on Russia is 100% futile without massive armies of highly motivated, duly ’inspired’ soldiers. The Zionazis will happily sacrifice Europe as the Russians retaliate against the invading forces, even if the majority of the latter might not be made up of native Euro-trash.

”President Bashar al-Assad of Syria has approved the use of chlorine gas in an offensive against the country’s last major rebel stronghold, U.S. Officials said”

Haha, why not that all-powerful ’Russian thingy’ called ”Novichok” ? As Putin’s firm, steadfast ally, Assad should be next in line for all the Novichok he could possibly be interested in. Pindo officials should be more consistent and up-to-date when peddling lies and imbecilities. Chlorine is so WW1.

”The World Must Stop Assad. If the Syrian — yessss! — regime attacks Idlib, the result will be a humanitarian and geopolitical disaster”

Bring it on, Assad! You’re on the verge of vanquishing the foreign scum pestering Syria along with their foreign backers. Respect from Sweden!

The idea that Assad or Putin would “give up Idlib” is insane. How Zeusse came up with that one is beyond me. It’s like saying to a kidnapper, “You can take my liver out, if you promise to leave me alone after that.”

Syria has to liberate whole his territory and I am sure Russia back her in his proposal. The job started by Russia in 2015. three long years now, has to be completed. There is not options. Erdogan is a player that has marked cards but everybody know him.

Of course, US assistence to Al-Qaeda, at least in the recent past, was “proven” when Trump issued an executive order that assistence to Al-Qaeda must end. I forget exactly when this was, but it was last year sometime.

The question at the time was whether or not the CIA would actually obey the order of the elected leader of the nation?

The following applies regardless of social rank, vocation, ambition etc: Whoever in the US it is who believes in the country’s ”glorious fight” against Al Qaeda is a dunghead. Hence the corollary question whether El Trumpo believes in it. Judging by the way the fight is being conducted on the part of the US, he seems to believe that Putin and Assad are bankrolling Al Qaeda, rather than the CIA, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. A dunghead indeed, LOL.

“The citizens of Turkey’s Hatay province, which borders Syria’s Latakia and Idlib governorates, are looking forward to the eradication of the last major terrorist hotbed on the territory of the Arab Republic by Syrian government forces.

“We are waiting for the operation in Idlib, thanks to which jihadist groups and foreign forces, their supporters, will be expelled from the region. The people should return to a peaceful life,” Hulya Kabuk, a representative of the Turkish Socialist Liberation Party, told Sputnik Turkey.

She highlighted that Hatay residents were very concerned about the situation in the border area.

“No one can feel safe here in the streets, everyone is afraid of possible terrorist attacks. We all want the end of the war in Syria, we want the Syrian people to participate in the decision-making on the fate of their country,” Kabuk said.

She pointed to the increased military activity in Hatay province, stressing that military equipment was being transferred to the border with Syria.

Kerem Nalbant, the co-chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party in Hatay, echoed Kabuk by saying that the Idlib operation should start as soon as possible.

“Now the operation in Idlib, which became a hotbed of terrorist groups, is high on the agenda,” Nalbant underscored. “According to some reports, about 80,000 jihadists are located there. The inhabitants of Hatay are extremely concerned about this situation. We support the plan of the [Syrian] government forces to attack Idlib, but we advocate for taking all the measures to ensure the safety of civilians [there].”

He pointed out that the Turkish civilians living in Hatay had been suffering moral and material damage for almost seven years due to the Syrian civil war fanned by regional and external players.

The head of the non-governmental Imam Ali association, Ibrahim Kanatli, told Sputnik that the people of Hatay viewed their Syrian neighbor as a brotherly nation.

“We believe that Idlib will become the final milestone on the way to the end of the war,” he underscored. “We also expect that after the Idlib operation, the Turkish-Syrian border will finally be opened for the free movement of civilians.”

He recalled that the regions had been involved in active trade and interactions before the Syrian civil war erupted in 2011. “We want this to become possible again,” Kanatli said. “After the operation in Idlib, the Syrian people and all ethnic groups will be able to breathe freely.”

Cem Kucuk, a Hatay resident, insisted that the Syrian Arab Army’s operation against the terrorist hotbed should be kicked off urgently.

“Idlib is an extremely important region of Syria, and it must be immediately cleared of all terrorist elements in order to ensure the territorial integrity of Syria,” Kucuk emphasized. “I think that the Syrian government forces will not delay the operation.”

The Turkish citizen underscored that Idlib is home to 3.5 million civilians that should be evacuated from the theater of war to safe areas in Syria. He recalled that several days ago the Syrian Army had shelled the positions of terrorists in Idlib.

“They conduct precise strikes on certain areas, where there are no civilians,” Kucuk noted. “In general, everything indicates that the end of the war in Syria nears, and the Syrian authorities will win.”

Given this, Ankara needs to start a dialogue with Damascus, the Hatay resident opined. He believes that mutual compromise will play into the hands of both Syria and Turkey.”

“Those terrorists are located in the only province of Syria that has always preferred Al Qaeda and ISIS to the Government of Syria’s secular President, Bashar al-Assad. That’s Idlib province”

Do you have a credible source for this claim?

“which now is Al Qaeda central, like Afghanistan used to be before 9/11 (and for which the U.S. bombed Afghanistan right after 9/11).”

That is the propaganda reason the israeloamericans/nato used to attack Afghanistan. The real reason was to destabilize the country and make sure it remains a volitial hotbed, make it into a base for sending terrorist insurgents into other central Asian nations, and a base for recruitment of terrorists to send further afield, including, and especially China. The us/nato had no more interest in fighting al qaida in Afghanistan than they do in Syria.

Perhaps you have forgotten, al qaida was invented by the cia, in Afghanistan, to fight against Russia. When the Russians left Afghanistan, the cia began using al qaida in other parts of the world, such as their war against Yugoslavia, with Afghanistan remaining their principal recruiting ground.

“Those terrorists are located in the only province of Syria that has always preferred Al Qaeda and ISIS to the Government of Syria’s secular President, Bashar al-Assad. That’s Idlib province”

It’s an astonishing thing to say and can only have the intention of confusing people and attempting to make them see President Assad as “worse” than the terrorists.

Here is a comment from Fares Shehabi MP
‏

@ShehabiFares
Sep 10

“The UN admits that at least 10k of these foreign jihadis rule #Idlib. Do you think civilians there are happy or secure under al-Qaeda rule?! Anyone who defends them is as guilty & criminal as they are.”

The left condemn, of course, the terrorists but that certainly doesn’t mean they support Syria’s struggle for sovereign independence, nor even support multipolarity in any way. Indeed the left are the most globalist minded of all.

IMHO comments like the one above about the people of Idlib preferring Al Qaida to their own government betrays the real agenda at work (undermining the legitimate authority in Syria, the elected government), and is an insult to the heroic people of that city.

“Assad and Putin both will announce that due to the complaints from the U.S. Government and from the United Nations and from the Turkish Government, Syria will give up Idlib province.”

“Due to the complaints from the U.S. Government and from the United Nations”

Seriously? :-D

“And from the Turkish Government”

While I have heard the Turks waffle about Assad’s government, they have been very consistent about Syria remaining intact. IE: no war against Yugoslavia style country balkanization. See also the article I posted above (if it posted) “Turkey’s Hatay Residents Want Idlib Op to Start ASAP” and:

“Damascus is preparing for an advance on Idlib, the last terrorist stronghold in Syria, Musa Ozugurlu, a Turkish journalist on the ground in the Arab Republic, told Sputnik. According to the journalist, the decisive attack will take place regardless of the threats coming from the West.

While the operation may be postponed, it will take place nevertheless, Musa Ozugurlu, a Turkish journalist and political observer with the Arti TV broadcaster, who has long worked in Syria, told Sputnik Turkey.

“During my recent trip from Damascus to Homs, I saw convoys of military equipment heading towards Idlib,” the Turkish journalist highlighted. “Thus, in parallel with the talks on the settlement of the situation in Idlib through non-military methods, the Syrian government forces continue their preparations. This indicates Damascus’s firm determination to liberate Idlib from terrorists. So, sooner or later the operation in the area will start. The inhabitants of Damascus and Homs are also talking about that.”

Ozugurlu emphasized that Russian and Syrian authorities were taking every effort to evacuate civilians from the area of the forthcoming operation. However, the main problem is that local armed groups are actively hindering this process, according to the political observer.

“Lots of people who are ready to negotiate with the Syrian authorities are being arrested and intimidated,” he pointed out. “In short, terrorists are doing everything to prevent the civilians withdrawal from Idlib, since they use the population as human shields.”

The journalist remarked that the Syrians with whom he spoke had not demonstrated any hostility towards Turkey and had even expressed hope to travel there when the civil war ends. “Many told us that they were waiting for the opening of the Turkish-Syrian border, as they hoped to visit Turkey not to find shelter there, but as tourists,” he remarked. “We did not notice any negative attitude towards Turkey among the Syrian population.”

In contrast, the Syrians expressed negative sentiments towards the Americans, as “they are convinced that the US will not leave them alone for a long time,” Ozugurlu noted.”

This latter article also addresses your claim that majority of people in Idlib support al qaida.

“What is being passed for an offensive by the Syrian Arab Army with the support of Russian troops is an unscrupulous representation of the facts,” Lavrov said.

According to the Russian foreign minister, the Syrian and Russian troops “only react to the forays coming from the Idlib area.”

He went on to say that “the fact that they are just people who have settled in Idlib, like in a fortress, and want a truce – it’s not true. From there they actively carry out military operations, using the support they somehow receive from abroad.”

According to Lavrov, there will be no reconciliation offered to the terrorist forces in the Idlib province; this includes groups like Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham and the Turkestan Islamic Party.

“We along with our Turkish partners are vigorously working on solving the situation in Idlib in a full accordance with the arrangements which were made during the process of creating the de-escalation zone over there. The arrangements entail the announcement of the ceasefire with one crucial exception – terrorists are not included. No reconciliation, no ceasefire regime includes terrorists.”

“We always stick to International humanitarian law when we conduct operations involving military action. I will remind you that the Russian Federation has a military presence in Syria at the request of its official government, the government of the UN member state, the government which sovereignty as well as the Syrian territorial integrity were confirmed by the UN SC resolutions for many times.”

The Russian Foreign Minister would conclude that his country is still working with Turkey to find a possible settlement in the Idlib Governorate that would avoid any violence.

SOT, Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister (Russian): “Together with our Turkish partners who cooperate in a very constructive manner on this issue we facilitate local arrangements between the units of the moderate opposition and the government forces, the same way as we did in the other de-escalation zones when they existed. We also encourage the creation of humanitarian corridors, safe zones for the civilians.”

Any news on why Sputniknews, RT and Tass have not updated their Web pages in over 30hrs.?

I am in Australia. Why can’t I see updated versions of these websites.? I have tried using Apple, Android, and a notebook.

Isn’t that stupefying to you.?

What the he’ll is going on.?

just ck all three sites from here … west coast of us … rt latest article is September 15, 2018, 4:19 am (GMT-7) Tass
September 15, 14:38 (Moscow time) sputniknews September 13, 2018, 4:44 PM … it appears only sputniknews has not published the last several days … the others appear current … try the rss feeds … mod

When Trump first came to power, he authorised a raid on AQAP, which resulted in the death of several women and children (one an eight year old girl who was an American citizen) as well as a Seal team soldier and the loss of an Osprey.

I haven’t heard of AQAP being seriously threatened since. Certainly the Saudi’s have no interest since they share the toxic Wahhabist ideology. And this seems to be another example where the Deep State have reined Trump in.

My conclusions regarding 911 and Al Qaeda, for whatever they are worth:

It was a false flag starring the US Government, the CIA, and Mossad as its playwrights; the purpose being to make a statement for perpetual violent oppression of the Arab and Muslim world — accompanied by increased lawlessness, spying, and surveillance in the West. The Al Qaeda meme came about since the Arab peoples were being targeted for violence. Granted, there is a minor possibility that Saudi Arabia actually provided, as per agreement, some provocateurs/passports to drive home the point.

I believe you are right in your conclusions about the purpose of the 911 psychological operation. I suggest it is also driven by an even deeper motive. That being to prepare the political ground for a capitalist war against their greatest and most feared of all enemies. An enemy that they fear may be able to do them real harm. That most feared enemy is the American people. One may easily question the capacity of the American people in this regard, nevertheless it is a real fear within the ruling class, and it drives them more than we are inclined to face.

”That most feared enemy / of the West’s Elites / is the American people. One may easily question the capacity of the American people in this regard /…/ ”

isn’t to be written off sarcastically by me since you did make clear that the US population’s capacity of connecting the dots is questionable. Rather, I will make the point here that the premeditated 911 fireworks were a crucial test event. Before embarking on all-out violence and chaos — just like Europe’s evil regimes of colonial genocidalists and intermarried Royal swine and scum in 1914 — the powers that be in the US wanted to see for themselves that their subjects at home harboured no ”unpatriotic” sentiments. They didn’t. Really, if the moronic US population and other constituencies in the West had been anything different, to wit by expressing utmost Schadenfreude and delight as the main hubs of Western imperialist tyranny physically crumbled, the Zionazis would have had to back-pedal. But causing serious trouble to Western imperialism just won’t do. Too bad the Western populations’ reward for their own cretinism doesn’t turn out to be ’fair’ (it is indeed, mind you): Europe was utterly ravaged by WW1 with its peoples literally starving. Today, the West is being de-industrialised while the imperialists try to fix the demographics — Whitey not happy.

Nussiminen; I totally agree with your feelings and analysis. Dr Mourandis complimented you in a way I agree with. Did you notice? It is my argument that for all one can justly criticize the western peoples we are still left with the need to analyze the driving motives of the capitalist ruling class. In every capitalist country the deepest fear of the the capitalist class is their own people. Here in USA there is ample sign that they are preparing for war against their own people. They are using 911 to facilitate this. This I believe is what both Marxists and politically aware depth psychologists see as the deepest primary contradiction in the capitalist system. One can morally condemn the western people, but they have never had any way of protecting themselves from capitalist class hatred. They have no idea how to even think about doing that. So bending to the prevailing wind becomes the only way to provide for one’s children. Tragic I agree. The smell of sulphur rises!

Yes, I noticed Dr. M’s appreciation of my proclamation ”Respect from Sweden!” in support of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad — I was moved reading it, and your support serves to reinforce this positive mood of mine further still, thank you.

You wrote:

”In every capitalist country the deepest fear of the capitalist class is their own people.”

I’d say that ”it depends”. Of course there is a general sense of unease among Western capitalists when they cannot rule by tangible sops and bribery at home but are forced instead to resort ever more to impopular measures and preposterous, senseless lying, thus losing face in the eyes of that section of their mass base being gifted with at least half a brain. Strictly speaking, however, the deepest fear of capitalists is profits drying up, period. If their profits are based primarily upon imperialist plunder, war, and enslavement abroad, their most dreaded enemy will be the oppressed foreign workers.

Turkey is pushing further reinforcements of troops, commando units and tanks into the northern Syrian city of Idlib and around it, for a specific objective: to disrupt the attack against the city by the Syrian forces and their allies supported by Russia. Ankara is indeed taking advantage of the Russian slowing down of its strategy to liberate the city from jihadists (including al-Qaeda) due to the US threat to bomb the Syrian Army and government forces under that excuse of “using chemical weapons”. This “chemical weapon” has become part of the battle of Idlib, used as a tool to wage war on Syria just as the war is coming to an end.

Russia considers the Turkish reinforcements as a breach of the Astana Turkish-Russian-Iranian deal, which limited the number of observation points and the military presence around the city and rural areas of Idlib. Moreover, Russia effectively considers Turkey to be unable to fulfil its commitment to totally end the presence of jihadists, especially including the group of al-Qaeda, stationed in the city and around it. In fact, the Turkish president Erdogan has asked for an extended delay to meet the Russian and the Iranian demands related to Idlib. This delay has been rejected by the government of Damascus whose leaders believe it is counterproductive to the interests of the country (to liberate the whole of Syria) and, further, would confirm the Russian president’s hesitancy which is apparently due to the US threat.

Much has been said about the strategies Ptin may adopt. And that he knows that if Trump goes out someone worse is likely to come in. That this may be a motive for him to endulge, and not to hit back as hard as deserved.

I don’t buy into that. If Putin has seen anything it is that US policies have stayed exactly as poisonous and unreliable as on Hussein’s watch. Little, if anything, has changed there. And while every Trumpist likes to brag how he is the first ever Potus to fulfil any campaign promise (YES??? how ’bout 9-11?), Putin will also note…
> that someone as nutty as Bolton has entered
> same for Haley
> same for Pompeo
> many, too many good people have been ditched
> the idiotic 2017 attack on Syria actually cost lives
…so that in fact as much as DJT may be hostile to US’ “elites” it does by no means mean that he is a preferable partner on the international scene.

So why should Putin spare Trump the well deserved humiliation?
Putin will gain nothing from sparing US troops again. He will only lose – the trust of his allies, and everybody else’s respect.

There is just no way those American lives Trump puts on the line can be spared. Hence they won’t.

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